Clips
by Androgene
Summary: A series of one-shot snippets, post-Gluhen and going into Side B. YxA, possibly Chloe x Aya
1. Clip 1

Name: Androgene 

Website: http/ Clips - One

Summary: A series of WK short pieces, random and basically starting post-Gluhen.

Category: a little bit of everything

Rating: NC-17 (just for the yaoi content)

Author's notes: It shows when Real Life takes its toil on me having time to write. All these little bits and pieces were written in snatches and left aside to collect dust. No time to think about plotlines or story structures. So yeah, 'Clips' is a good name to call these bits and pieces. Besides, these little snippets don't fit into any kind of storylines.

Disclaimer: Weiss Side B belong to Takehito Koyasu and Shoko Ohmine. I make no monetary gains from it.

**- Clip One: Haunting Question - **

In the snow-covered phone booth, he stared at the silent payphone as thought it was a snake. Like the glass walls frosted by winter, he was frozen by indecision. Yearning was pulling him in one direction and fear in the other. He wanted, no, needed to hear that voice. But he feared the pain that would surely come. He still hurt from his last phone call, from the painful discovery that he and his sister had become virtual strangers, that he could never be a part of her life anymore He didn't think he could bear it happening again.

And yet, the need to know, to understand the 'why'…it was stronger than his fear of pain or yearning.

Dialing the number was the hardest thing he had ever done. Listening to the wife's friendly greeting hurts, but when the beloved voice spilled over the line, he had to physically brace himself against the payphone.

"Moshi-moshi? Who is this?"

The lazy drawl…it's gone…

He wanted to say something, ask him why, but his mind blanked. He couldn't speak past the lump in his throat, or breathe past the burning constriction in his chest. All he could hear was the echo of his last tortured wish.

_'I want to forget, Aya. The pain, the guilt…everything…I want to forget.'_

His courage failed at the last and he hung up the phone in defeat.

It was his wish to be certain, but Aya would never understand why Yohji would want to forget what they had.


	2. Clip 2

**- Clip Two: Bite Rose -**

Chloe disliked New York immensely.

It was big, it was sprawling, grey and dreary. Sure it was breathtaking, with its tall, tall skyscrapers and massive concrete structures. But it was not beautiful, and Chloe liked beautiful things.

That's why he preferred London. Yes, it was grey and dreary too, but it has an elegance and charm that the urban Apple could not imitate or hope to have. And to him, the New Yorkers themselves were about as un-beautiful as the city itself.

He hadn't wanted to come to New York, would have much rather stayed on his own hunting grounds. But KR had given him the mission. With Michel still on non-lethal status, the new Hunter on probation and him being the sole survivor of Side A, he hadn't a choice to refuse. So he came to New York and spent weeks tracking down the bloody elusive drug trafficker who had been pushing a brand-new mysterious drug on the streets of London and New York and got the authorities on both of the Atlantic all riled up.

Thank goodness he had the elegant Mihirogi for company. At least she was a beautiful relief from the crassness he found himself encountering everyday. Now if the cars would drive on the right side of the road, he might just be able to put up with this country for a little while longer.

"He's leaving."

"Finally." With the ease that came from long practice, Chloe put on his silver half-mask while skillfully maneuvering the car towards the fleeing trafficker. He took note of their quarry yelling something at two other people – a young man leaning against a boy; they would need to be resolved as well. The sooner he took care of this, the quicker he would be on the plane heading home for London.

The quarry's accomplice turned out to be a shocking discovery, an unexpected diamond among cheap glass rocks. Hair red as blood, skin pale as snow, with a face distinctly masculine, yet striking in its fineness, the man was made even more beautiful by his astonishing speed and skill with the sword.

Chloe was pleasantly surprised when the man actually blocked his bite rose, not once but several times in succession despite his injured state. He hadn't found anyone who was able to do that for a very long time.

How…rare.

Chloe was almost annoyed when Mihirogi called him back.

To his delight, KR's secretary didn't back off completely. Her curiosity was piqued as well.

"KR is interested in him," Mihirogi told him.

"Oh? Why do I get the impression our dear sire knows something of him?"

"He is of the same ilk."

"Is he now…?"

There was a hint of mischief in Mihirogi's smile. "Would you like to know his name?"

"Not at all." Chloe already knew his name.

It was Bite Rose.


	3. Clip 3

**- Clip Three: Bloodstained Salvation -**

No matter how many times he was to visit New York, the city would forever remain as a place of unbearable cold and loneliness in his memory. It was, after all, the city where he was stabbed and nearly died on the streets, ignored by all.

As a White Hunter given the doubled-edged gift of freedom when all he knew was the bloody trade of killing, he was crippled. Freed, with no organization to define his killings, he was no different from the mercenary assassins. Oh yes, he was crippled, and isolated, adrift in a world that thought him dead.

He grappled to make sense of his existence in this cold city, struggled to stave off the inevitable. But moving without purpose, without desires, without dreams or wishes…he was drowning in despair despite his best efforts. Inevitability still caught up with him and when it did, he couldn't find the strength to fight it off anymore.

So he decided to make the alley a dead-end for himself.

He chose to save the boy instead and take the cops' brutality upon himself. If he were to die in that nameless alley, well, so be it. He was just so tired. At least one more life would benefit from his death and that was a purpose, wasn't it?

So when the phantom hunter stopped the beating and Mihirogi extended a bloodstained hand to him – it felt like salvation.


	4. Clip 4

**- Clip Four: Greenhouse Epiphany - **

Chloe stood stock-still under the artificial rain in the greenhouse, uncaring of the cold water drenching his white-blond hair and expensive clothes. He was still trying to absorb the stunning conclusion of the duel.

From the corner of his eye, he absently noted Ken slowly slumping to the wet grass, shoulders sagging in relief. But the main portion of his attention remained on the wild bite rose he brought back from New York.

Aya Fujimiya remained kneeling on the muddy grass, leaning heavily against the sheathed length of his katana for support. Violet eyes stared warily at him from beneath a wet fall of red hair. Despite his bruised and battered physique, and the fact that his injuries should have hampered his movements, this exotic Japanese proved to be a force to be reckoned with.

If he was to be honest with himself, Chloe had thought the duel an easy win. After all, the redheaded Japanese was still injured and his mental stability was, well, somewhat off-kilter, to say the least. Aya, as he called himself, was most definitely not at his best.

And yet…

The move Aya had executed was nothing short of amazing, for a man as injured as he was. The look in his eyes as he went for the kill…Chloe realized he had seriously underestimated the man. However messed up he was, he was all crystallized focus and pure lethalness in battle.

Bite rose indeed.

So beautiful, so delicate and so strong…

The ghost of a smile lifted the corners of Chloe's finely sculptured lips.

The coming days were going to be interesting.


	5. Clip 5

**- Clip Five: Shion - **

"Aya, over here!" Ken called out when he spied the strolling figure of his long-time teammate.

The slim form paused and changed direction, each measured step taking the quiet redhead towards the balcony where Ken was.

"So they finally let you out of the bed," Ken said. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," came the succinct reply. "I didn't expect to find you here."

"You have to thank that guy back in Japan. He suggested London."

"Hn."

Ken sighed and propped his arms on the balcony railing. "It's certainly different without them," he said softly. "I always wanted out of the game, yet look at me now. Still in, only the environment is different."

"Not just the environment."

Ken looked askance.

Aya gave him a long steady look. "You are different, Ken."

Ken blinked, then laughed ruefully. "Guess being in jail did do me some good. I was so stuck in denial back in those days, wasn't I?"

Aya looked away. "It's good to see you like this."

"Arigato."

Resting his cheek against his propped-up arms, Ken studied his friend's pale handsome profile. He noted the distant sadness in those violet eyes and the subtle downward turn at the corner of his mouth. He could not help but notice Aya's firm grip on his katana.

"He gave it to me, you know." He said quietly.

Aya's only reaction was a blink of his eyes. Otherwise, he remained as impassive and aloof as before.

"Just before I leave Japan, I decided to visit him. He looks good, you know. Healthier, calmer. Stable. He looked very much at peace, even contented. When he smiled at me…" Ken sighed, "I dunno…I wasn't worried about him anymore."

Aya's gaze remained fixed on the gardens of KR's countryside manors, a motionless statue of silence.

Ken continued, "I introduced myself as someone who knew him in the past, a distant acquaintance. We spoke; I can't remember what we talked about. Guess I was too busy adjusting to the fact that he was living a rather wholesome life. He handed me Shion. Told me to say thank you to its owner."

The redhead's jaws tightened.

"It had helped him when he was finding his footing, kept him anchored somehow. But he didn't need it anymore. In fact, he told me he had a feeling that its original owner would need it more and he ought to return it. How his life is now, he no longer needed a blade to help him."

Ken abruptly straightened, his eyes widening when he spied the single tear rolling down Aya's pale cheek. "Aya! Oh God, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to – I'm so sorry."

"Not your fault," Despite the tears, Aya's voice was rock steady. "You were just telling me what he said."

"I could have been more tactful. I know what he meant to you."

"How could you be more tactful when he doesn't remember?"

"Oh, Aya…" Ken reached out and clasped a sympathetic hand on a slumped shoulder. "These two years hadn't been easy for you, has it?"

Aya's smile was wan and resigned.

"If you ever need a listening ear-"

"I know where to look. Don't tell anyone about him, Ken. He's free, like he always wanted to be."

"I won't," Ken answered firmly.

They fell silent, relishing the companionship that had formed under the most extreme of situations.

"I'm glad you're here."

Ken smiled. "I'm glad you're here too."

In this foreign land, surrounded by so much newness, it was a comfort to have each other.


	6. Clip 6

**- Clip Six: Conversation - **

From his study room's window, KR had an excellent view of the gardens and the series of corridors enclosing it. He watched amusedly as Michel cajoled and dragged the newest members of Krypton Brand to the parlor room for tea. He saw Chloe approaching the small group from the opposite direction and had to smile when Michel greeted him exuberantly.

"They are good, are they not?" he suddenly asked aloud.

"Yes they are," Mihirogi answered. Quietly, she crossed the carpeted floor. "I'll never understand how you always know when I'm in your presence, Sire."

"Trade secret, Mihirogi."

His elegant Japanese secretary joined him at the window. "Are they what you are looking for?"

"The initial results are encouraging. They passed their 'entrance test' with unexpected flying colors. Especially the one named Fujimiya. He was still injured during the test, I believe?"

"Yes. He caught Chloe by surprise as well."

"And our gentleman hunter is bloody hard to surprise."

"I feel they have a long way to go before they can become true members of Krypton Brand."

"Oh?"

"They came to us with excess baggage." Mihirogi moved away from the window to the fireplace. "They were with their previous team too long and Weiss didn't disband on exactly benign terms. What kinds of scars did it give them? Hidaka had to spend time in jail to work things out and Fujimiya…I heard he wandered aimlessly for two years. I'm not so worried about Hidaka but Fujimiya is another question. When we found him, he held his own against Chloe and yet a group of idiotic policemen nearly took him down. That is not what I expected to find in a killer of his supposed caliber."

"What are you saying?"

"Sire, pardon my bluntness but you're not blind. Have you not noticed his depression? His emotional state is not what it should be for an assassin."

"Chloe did mention something similar," KR admitted.

"If he's to become one of the co-leaders of the new team, he must get over whatever is keeping him so off-balance. I'm not sure if he even can. How am I to trust the lives of the others to a leader so…?" Her voice trailed off, unable to find the right word to describe her misgivings.

KR pondered upon her words, absently tapping a finger against his walking cane.

"I have heard," he said slowly, "that when he joined Weiss, he was a closed-off, stone-cold, abrasive young man unable to get along with nearly everyone around him. It was said he lived for revenge and nothing else matters. And yet, Weiss's success record improved by leaps and bounds during his stay. That must say something about him, doesn't it?"

"I suppose," Mihirogi allowed.

"We have four members now. He's been with us for less than two weeks and already Michel is fond of him and he has snared Chloe's attention. Don't tell me you didn't see it coming," KR chuckled at Mihirogi's disapproving expression, "Chloe with his taste for things of beauty."

"He should know better than to fraternize with his teammate."

"Chloe will always be Chloe. He's a law unto himself – as we found out the hard way," KR said dryly. "The both of them are drawn to Fujimiya, even if they themselves do not realize it. Certainly Fujimiya is not aware of it either. Even in his off-kilter state, he still responds like a hunter and behaves like a leader."

KR turned back to the window. "Give him time, Mihirogi. His presence could only benefit this new team."

"Sire…"

"This new team, Mihirogi, it must not end up like the first one. And I trust Fujimiya to do everything in his power to keep that from happening."


	7. Clip 7

**- Clip Seven - **

The boy reminded him way too much of Omi, except Omi was a lot more gawky and quieter than the exuberant sunshine named Michel. Of course, he had never mistaken Omi for a girl. Michel, on the other hand, was rather androgynous – in a cute and innocent way.

It wasn't hard to see that Ken had developed a bit of a soft spot for the young boy, for the same reason Aya decided he could put up with Michel. The boy was a living echo of an earlier, less complicated time.

Aya tensed up when he spotted Chloe approaching them.

The phantom hunter, though was a different story. He could not explain why, but Chloe's mere presence put Aya on his guard immediately, somehow drawing all his attention despite his resistance.

"Good afternoon," greeted Chloe in his German-accented English.

"Hi, Chloe! I've invited them to tea," Michel smiled brilliantly at his teammate. "Would you like to join us?"

Corners of ice-blue eyes crinkled as Chloe smiled charmingly at the youngest assassin. "I'll be delighted."

"Wonderful! I got everything set up in the parlor!" Michel grabbed hold of Ken's arm and began to pull. "This way!"

"Okay, okay! I'm coming," Ken laughed. He allowed Michel to drag him along, leaving Aya behind in Chloe's company.

The blond turned his smile on the silent redhead regarding him with wary violet eyes. "I see you are up and about, Fujimiya. You were most impressive during the 'entrance test'."

"You as well," Aya replied politely.

"I wish to apologize."

"What for?"

"I underestimated you. It's an insult to Weiss' skills and reputation. It has been a while since I've fought against someone so evenly matched. I suppose I had grown complacent."

"Nothing to apologize for," Aya said curtly. He didn't meant to but he couldn't help it. Here, back in a similar environment, the mere mention of 'Weiss' dragged up emotions and memories he spent two years trying to bury.

Chloe arched a brow.

He looked away from those keen ice-blue eyes, feeling rather self-conscious. He tried to step around Chloe for the parlor room but stopped immediately as the pale blond stepped directly into his path and personal space. Unconsciously, his grip tightened on his katana as he glared at Chloe.

"Do I make you nervous?" Chloe asked mildly, without inflection.

That pissed Aya off. "You do not," he growled.

Chloe tipped his head thoughtfully and then he shrugged, "if you say so." He turned away and strode towards the parlor room. "Coming, Fujimiya?"


End file.
